What fish are there in the arctic

Fish themselves are essential prey for marine animals and seabirds, making them a vital link for the marine food supply chain in the Arctic Region. This article will take a moment to introduce some of the lesser-known fish that call the ocean floor in the Arctic.

Salmon sharks are enormous, slow-growing sea creatures found between Baja California and the Bering Sea. These species have a small, muscular body that looks like a great white shark, and can reach up to 10 feet in length. During the annual Pacific salmon, you can find a significant number of Salmon Sharks in the Arctic Ocean. These sharks have a unique adaptation that allows them to stay warm in cold Arctic waters. Salmon sharks are endothermic, meaning they can control and change their body temperature.

Most fish species are ectotherms, meaning the temperature of their body is suitable for their water environment. I have found that something like the Frabill Arctic Fire Tip-Up , is a great fishing accessory to have when you are out in environments like the Arctic. You can check it out and more on Amazon. These types of fish can be found up to 6, feet deep in the very cold part of the Arctic Ocean.

They have a disc-shaped mouth like other snailfish that can suck up small invertebrates off the seafloor. It is an essential prey item for commercially important fish such as Atlantic cod. Although Gelatinous Sea Snails are not that essential for people to eat, they are the most important source of food for the other predatory fish.

Their shelter and habitat have not been studied quite well. Also, little is known about its reproduction, except that its spawn in September and October produce small eggs for about 2. This species lives from south to the tip of Labrador from the far north of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic. This image of a pink snailfish was taken around 2, meters depth by a remotely operated vehicle during the Arctic Exploration cruise. Fish species that are common to other Alaskan waters, and to the dinner plates of many Alaskans, such as salmon, are not very common in the Arctic, but they do occur.

Chinnok, pink, and chum salmon are found in both the Chukchi and the Beaufort seas, but they are mostly restricted to coastal waters and use the coastal lagoon systems as migratory passage ways. Walleye pollock, Pacific cod, and Greenland halibut that are commercially important elsewhere are only found in small numbers in both the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. On top of low numbers of these species of commercial interest, they also are of small size in Arctic waters, preventing a commercial fishery of any of these species in the Pacific Arctic region.

Diversity of fishes decreases with depth and distance from shore, so we expect the diversity of fishes in the Chukchi Borderland region to be relatively low. However, the low number of different species does not mean that fishes are not important. The species that do occur will still be of great importance to the functioning of the Chukchi Borderland ecosystem, as top-level predators in the deep-sea areas of the region and as food web links to mammal and bird consumers in the shallower regions.

An exceptional Dolly Varden caught in Beaufort lagoon was 32 inches long and weighed Sparkling like brilliant gems in pristine waters, Dolly Varden provide recreational enjoyment to Refuge visitors, and nourishment to local residents. The fish depend on the freshwater springs and nearby marine waters of the Arctic Refuge, and are an integral part of its spectacular natural resources.

Arctic Cisco It is not a game fish, has an obscure name, can't easily be seen, and has no great claim to fame. Yet the Arctic cisco plays a big role in the arctic. It is a critical link in the marine food chain, provides food for local residents, and brings money to commercial fishermen. Cousin to Interior Alaska's sheefish, Arctic cisco feed and migrate in summer through the nutrient rich waters of the Arctic Refuge coast.

These metallic silver fish eat marine invertebrates, and are themselves an important food source for larger fish and marine mammals. Arctic cisco can reach 20 inches and weigh up to two pounds. Mature Arctic cisco begin spawning at age eight or nine, continuing beyond 13 years of age.

They lay their eggs in Canada's Mackenzie River. After hatching, the finger-length juveniles migrate west along the Refuge coast. Prevailing easterly winds help "push" the young fish to the Sagavanirktok River west of the Refuge, more than miles from where they began. Juveniles overwinter in this river for a few years until they reach the sub-adult stage.

They then travel another miles west to overwinter in the Colville River. When they mature, Arctic cisco return each year to the Mackenzie River to spawn and overwinter. Although fish of different ages overwinter in separate river drainages east and west of the refuge, in summer Arctic cisco of every age are found in abundance in the nearshore waters of the Refuge coast. A food resource for Kaktovik Natives, Arctic cisco are netted or seined from August through early September.

The fish brings more to the village than sustenance, however. The Inupiaq name for Kaktovik "Qaaktugvik" means seining place. The word is a constant reminder of the cisco "Qaaktag" , and the villager's seining efforts "Qaaktug" , to catch them. Sub-adult Arctic cisco from the Colville River are an important commercial resource. Overwintering fish taken from there are sold in Barrow, Anchorage, and a few other locations in Alaska.